Confessions
by princessinstability
Summary: Chowder has grown up, and is married with Panini; however, their relationship is starting to crumble, and Chowder finds himself getting closer to his friend and rival, Gorgonzola. Meanwhile, Panini, feeling abandoned by her husband, begins to find new love in an unexpected place.
1. Chapter 1

It was a frigid winter night in Marzipan City, a night in which all of the citizens were cozied up in their homes, looking for every source of warmth they could find. As such, it was a very busy time of the year of Candle Corp, the company headed by none other than Gorgonzola, an expert candle holder since birth. It was his responsibility to make sure that the gentle heat and bright light of his candle could spread throughout all of Marzipan city, allowing even the Thrice Cream Man to thaw in the midst of this brutal frost. Gorgonzola worked tirelessly, trying to both keep the town safe for the winter and teach his apprentice everything he knew about a profession that he had hated for a long time, but had grown to accept as his natural born responsibility. After a long day of manufacturing and shipping out one-of-a-kind candles to Marzipan's residents, Gorgonzola was finally able to enjoy the Froggy Apple Crumple Thumpkin sent to him by none other than his best friend and largest rival, Chowder, and after such a delicious dinner, he was able to go to bed around 3:00 a.m.

Meanwhile, Scraps, Chowder's fine young apprentice, pulled out a freshly baked batch of Burple Nurples. Slightly nervous, but also proud of his creation, Scraps carefully brought the Burple Nurples over to Chowder and politely asked him to try them.

"They aren't poisoned, are they?" asked Chowder.

"N-n-no," replied Scraps as Chowder took a bite of Nurple, "Why would you think something like that, Mr. Chowder?"

"These Nurples are exquisite, Scraps! When I was your age, I too made Burple Nurples." Chowder paused. "…but I was so scatterbrained that I accidentally added poison to them. Would have accidentally killed my best friend if it wasn't for Mung bravely saving the day by crossdressing." Scraps gave Chowder a very confused look, but took great pride in the fact that his dish was a success.

"Well, I'm very glad that you didn't accidentally kill Panini," said Scraps once he had taken the time to process the very strange story that Chowder had told him, "She's very nice."

"Yeah…" Chowder said, staring off into the distance and now pondering the fact that he had thought of Gorgonzola as his best friend, rather than Panini, his own wife. Now he began to question if he had even thought of Panini as a friend at all prior to marrying her. Hadn't he spent the past 20 years of his life avoiding her? Chowder didn't have much time to ponder this, as he received a new order from a customer, and had to get back to work.

Gorgonzola tossed and turned in his bed, trying very hard to get a good night's sleep, trying not to stress about all the work he had to do. A very strong headache had set in and he began to feel great chills up his spine despite having bundles of blankets and a candle on top of his head to keep him warm. Gorgonzola began to feel so weak that he had no choice but to sleep.

Chowder settled into bed with his wife. She began to seductively undress, but Chowder quickly reminded her that they already had 50 babies to take care of, and she grumpily put her pajamas back on. She was a bit upset that Chowder was beginning to express chastity again, but at the same time, she was content to just be around him. She quickly dozed off into a sweet dream. Meanwhile, Chowder lay awake, reflecting on the first night after he had married Panini. Technically, he had known what was coming, as Mung had given him a brief explanation as to how sex worked, but mentally, he wasn't ready for it. How could he have been ready for something like that when he had held a single note and missed out on the world for the past 20 years of his life? Last he had remembered, he was an innocent child, and now he was a grown man facing the grown version of the girl who had stalked and harassed him on a near daily basis. But Mung said that it was his destiny, so Chowder braced himself and blacked out, letting Panini take control. It didn't matter very much to him as long as she was happy and he was able to take over the catering company and train Scraps like Mung had trained him. But still, Chowder couldn't help but feel a sense of emptiness in his life. Chowder pondered on this until he slowly fell asleep.

The next morning, Gorgonzola fluttered his eyes open, his vision blurry and every part of his body aching as if swords were stabbing through every single muscle. He tried to get out of bed, but his legs began to buckle under him and he quickly sat back down to save himself from falling on his face. Taking deep breaths, Gorgonzola made another attempt at getting up, this time taking several steps across his bedroom before gravity took control and he found himself face down on the carpet. Lacking the energy to get up, Gorgonzola lied there helplessly as his apprentice walked in. Worried, the apprentice decided to call the only person that Gorgonzola trusted: Chowder.

Chowder woke up, feeling a bit groggy from his lack of sleep the previous night. He noticed that there was empty space next to him in the bed, and that that other side of the bed had been remade; he presumed that Panini had left early with their 50 children for the weekly Mommy and Me Arts and Crafts Class at the rec center. Chowder began his morning ritual of replacing his night cap with his signature hat, feeding Kimchi, and of course, preparing breakfast with his young apprentice. However, the routine was interrupted by a phone call. He didn't quite recognize the young voice on the phone, but once he had heard he words "there's something wrong with Mr. Gorgonzola," he rushed over to Gorgonzola's house, taking Scraps and a huge vat of soup with him.

Chowder and Scraps soon arrived at Gorgonzola's house and knocked on the front door, not quite knowing what to expect. The door creaked open, and through the growing crack emerged a small, shy face, about eye level to that of Scraps.

"You must be Gorgonzola's apprentice," said Chowder, getting down on one knee to meet the child's eyes and appear less intimidating. "What happened?" he asked, his eyes expressing a strong hint of concern. The apprentice said nothing, but grabbed onto Chowder's hand and led him, followed by Scraps, to Gorgonzola's bed, on which a barely conscious Gorgonzola was resting, with a damp rag spread across his forehead; his candle was also noticeably burnt out.

"That idiot," said Chowder, feeling Gorgonzola's neck to gage his temperature, "I always told him that he would someday end up overworking himself." Chowder took off the purple sweater that he always wore and gently laid it on top of Gorgonzola's shivering body, in hopes of adding another layer of warmth.

"Scraps, please go to the pharmacy and get some medicine for him," he requested, handing Scraps several dollops.

As Scraps left for the pharmacy, Chowder opened the vat of soup that he had brought with him, spooned out a decent amount, blew on it, and touched the spoon to Gorgonzola's mouth, letting the broth slowly trickle down his throat. Gorgonzola's eyes opened. He was slightly alarmed by Chowder's presence, but also comforted, as he gave a weak smile as a small thanks for his friend's visit.

"Just rest tight, Gorgonzola," said Chowder, softly. "I'll nurse you back to health."

"I should really be working right now…" said Gorgonzola, feeling ashamed at his inability to move.

"Don't worry about that," said Chowder, dipping another spoonful of soup for his bedridden companion. "Worry about yourself for once."

Gorgonzola gave another weak smile and allowed Chowder to continue feeding him the hearty soup. Once the vat was empty, Chowder started for the other side of the room, where Gorgonzola's apprentice had set up a guest bed, but then he felt a slight tugging on his fingers.

Gorgonzola had grabbed his hand with the little strength that he had. Chowder turned towards Gorgonzola, and read his lips as he weakly whispered the words "… please don't… leave me…" Chowder was taken slightly aback, but also smiled as his friend as he turned back around and kneeled next to the bed, still holding on to Gorgonzola's hand. The two slowly fell asleep together.


	2. Chapter 2

Scraps returned from the pharmacy with a bag of over-the-counter medicine. Chowder hadn't told him what kind of medicine to get, so he just used his best judgment based on the symptoms he had seen. Gorgonzola's front door was still creased open slightly, so Scraps nervously let himself in, only to see Gorgonzola's apprentice fast asleep on the couch. Scraps smiled slightly and started up the stairs to Gorgonzola's room, where he saw his master, also asleep, his head resting atop Gorgonzola's hand.

Scraps was in slight awe of what he had witnessed. Never before had he seen his master so… at peace. Scraps had had no doubt that Chowder cared for Panini, but he had never seen them get that close, at least without there being something in Chowder's eyes that suggested distraction or disillusionment from the situation. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful moment, Scraps quietly placed the medicine on the bedside table and tiptoed out of the room to join Gorgonzola's apprentice downstairs.

Gorgonzola slowly began to regain some consciousness, enough to notice Chowder's head resting on top of his right hand, fast asleep. Gorgonzola blushed a little bit, amazed at the fact that his friend was going through so much effort to aide in his recovery. Nobody had ever been that nice to him. Not even his own master, Stilton. Gorgonzola began to reflect on the time that Chowder had saved his life in the midst of the Apprentice Games, and how he had given him the strength to stand up to Stilton and reclaim his dignity (and Ultimate Thrice Cream) for once in his life. Why had Chowder been so kind and strong to someone who had constantly bullied and belittled him for no apparent reason? Now they were able to bury the old hatchet, primarily because in Chowder's 20 year absence, Gorgonzola realized how much he really needed him in his life, but at the same time, he couldn't help but feel tremendously guilty at how he had treated his purple rival.

"I'm so sorry," muttered Gorgonzola, a slight embarrassed tear running down the side of his face, which he wiped off quickly, not wanting to appear vulnerable in front of someone so strong.

Suddenly, Chowder's eyes fluttered open, much to the surprise and embarrassment of Gorgonzola, whose face turned a deep shade of red. Chowder simply smiled, and asked, "Why are you sorry?"

Gorgonzola couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Forget it," he said, as his eyes shifted over to the bedside table, where Scraps had left his medicine. He began to reach over towards it, but Chowder stopped him in his tracks.

"You shouldn't be moving around too much," he said, seizing Gorgonzola's arm with one hand, and grabbing the medicine with another. "I'll take care of this for you, just sit back and rest." Gorgonzola was taken aback, but didn't bother arguing with him. Chowder pulled out the liquid measuring cup that came with the medicine, carefully poured the correct dosage, and proceeded to touch the cup to Gorgonzola's mouth, when he suddenly felt the medicine jolt and trickle down his hand.

"What the heck are you doing?!" protested Gorgonzola.

"Oh," replied Chowder, wiping the medicine off of his hand with his hat. "I'm sorry. I was just used to doing that since that's how I had to get you to eat your soup."

 _He had fed me soup?_ thought Gorgonzola, puzzled at how unconscious he had been at the time. Chowder re-poured the medicine and handed the cup to him, allowing him to pour it down for himself. The medicine kicked in almost immediately, making him very drowsy. Shortly, he fell asleep again. Chowder was unsure as to whether or not Gorgonzola still wanted him to stay, but he knew that he needed to make more soup, so he carefully stood up and went down the stairs towards the kitchen, only to notice that Gorgonzola didn't have any fresh ingredients.

"I suppose I shouldn't have expected much, given that I'm always the one cooking for him," he said to himself. He knew he would have to make his way to Gazpacho's Fruit Stand-Up to get the ingredients he needed. He could have asked Scraps to do it, but he had already asked a lot of the timid little boy, and now that he was sleeping on the recliner chair in the living room, he didn't want to disturb him.

With that in mind, Chowder set out, making it about halfway to Gazpacho's when he realized that he had left his jacket at Gorgonzola's house, and that he was freezing cold. He figured that Gorgonzola needed the jacket more than he did, but at the same time, his fingers and his nose were turning an even deeper shade of purple than normal, and he began to lose his strength as the frostbite set in. Trudging forward as best as he could, Chowder eventually collapsed in the snow.


	3. Chapter 3

Panini was sitting in the lobby of the catering company, breastfeeding Chowder Junior No. 25 for the night. Hours had passed since she had returned home from the Mommy and Me Arts and Crafts Class, and she had no idea where Chowder and Scraps had gone. She was beginning to worry; it wasn't like Chowder to come home late. She finished breastfeeding her other babies, put on her parka, and headed out in search of her husband.

"Excuse me," she said, stopping a random pedestrian. "Have you seen my husband?" she asked, holding up a wobbly doodle of Chowder drawn by Scraps.

"Dingeloo, dingelee," responded a familiar voice, "Chestnut saw that chandelier lying in the middle of the snow, on the corner between the bank and Old Man Thyme's Paperweight Shop." Perplexed by the fact that Chestnut had called her husband a chandelier, but happy that someone had seen him, Panini responded with a thank you and headed towards the street corner. Sure enough, Chowder was lying there, face down, his hat off of his head a few inches away from him.

"Num nums!" shouted Panini, running towards him. She flipped him onto his back, but he was unconscious, his face slightly blue. "I need to get him warm," she said to herself. The only place she knew to go in this emergency was Gorgonzola's house. He would have a good supply of candles that could save Chowder's life. She made her way to the house, dragging Chowder as best as she could. She used one of her long bunny ears to knock on the door, only to receive a faint opening of the door by a groggy Scraps, who had just woken up from a nap.

"Scraps, what are you doing here?" asked Panini.

"Panini?! Mr. Chowder?!" Scraps' eyes widened as he saw Chowder's blue face. "Oh my goodness, we need to do something!"

"But—"

"I'll explain why I'm here later! I need to find blankets and—"

"What's going on?" interrupted a crackly voice from the upstairs. It seemed that Gorgonzola was now awake and had begun to move around the house.

"It's Mr. Chowder!" replied Scraps. Gorgonzola's eyes widened as he bounded down the stairs as quickly as he could with his still relatively low levels of energy.

"Why did that idiot go out in that weather?" Gorgonzola wrapped his arms around Chowder's unconscious body as his apprentice pulled candles out of the closet in attempt to warm Chowder up.

"Num nums…" muttered Panini.

"Oh," said Gorgonzola, startled at Panini's presence, "I didn't realize you were here, too, Panini. Are you the one that found Chowder?" Panini nodded. "What was he doing out there?"

"I have no clue. All I know is that he didn't come home on time, and I was beginning to worry about him."

"Ah," replied Gorgonzola, his head tilting down, "I'm sorry, Panini. The truth is, I got really sick, and he came over here to help me get better. But that still doesn't explain why he went back out when the storm had gotten much worse."

"He could have at least told me where he was going," said Panini, rolling her eyes, "but I guess there's not much we can do now. We just have to get him warmed up." Gorgonzola and Panini worked together to lift Chowder's body onto the sofa, and they wrapped him in blankets, placing the candles close to him.

"Unfortunately, I need to go back home to take care of the babies," Panini said as she sadly readjusted her jacket and prepared to leave the Gorgonzola residence, "Please call me when Chowder wakes up, okay?" She then walked out the door.

"Please be okay," Gorgonzola softly whispered, stroking Chowder's face, once he knew that Panini was no longer in the room.


	4. Chapter 4

"Please be okay," Gorgonzola softly whispered, stroking Chowder's face, once he knew that Panini was no longer in the room. However, he forgot to account for the fact that Scraps was still there, standing only a few feet away.

"Gorgonzola," said Scraps, very quietly, "do you and Mr. Chowder… love each other?" Gorgonzola's face turned slightly red, but he continued to stay slumped on top of Chowder, trying to keep him warm. Scraps was prepared to hear Gorgonzola deny it, or perhaps even get angry, but he something very different actually happened.

"Please don't tell anyone…" said Gorgonzola, tears trickling down the sides of his face. "He's the only person I've ever been close to… the only person I can trust… WHY DID I EVER LET HIM MARRY PANINI?!" Scraps felt a pain in his heart similar to that which Gorgonzola must have been feeling. "No… I shouldn't feel bitter about this… it was Chowder's destiny to marry Panini…"

"Perhaps it wasn't…" replied Scraps, after contemplating the situation for a moment. "Perhaps it was just that Mr. Chowder didn't want to be alone…" An even sadder look came from Gorgonzola's eyes.

"I didn't want to be alone, either. You saw what life was like during Chowder's 20 year absence. I was miserable. I even dressed my apprentice up as Chowder, for Christ's sake!"

"That was a very dark time," interjected Gorgonzola's young apprentice.

"The truth is… he's the light of my life… he gave me purpose… he was the only reason I was able to fulfill my own destiny, even though it was one that I absolutely hated! The truth is… I love him…" Just as Gorgonzola said the words, he felt a gentle squeezing of his hand by Chowder's. Before he could process that Chowder had heard everything, Chowder pulled him towards the couch, placed his free hand behind his head, and kissed him.


	5. Chapter 5

The kiss lasted a good minute or so, while Scraps somewhat uncomfortably escorted himself out of the room.

"Chowder," said Gorgonzola, stunned, "y-you're awake…" Of course that statement was kind of obvious given what had just occurred, but Gorgonzola was still feeling very flustered.

"How did I get back here?" asked Chowder.

"I think the more important question to ask is why you went out into that storm, idiot."

"Oh…" said Chowder, considering the feelings of his friend. "I wanted to go to Gazpacho's Fruit Stand-Up to get more soup ingredients." Gorgonzola was baffled.

 _Why did that idiot risk his life for someone like me?_ Gorgonzola flicked Chowder lightly on the head.

"Well, in any case, it's a good thing you're okay."

"You're the one to talk. You were half dead the last time I saw you." Gorgonzola unexpectedly leaned forward and embraced Chowder tightly.

"And because of you, I was able to save your ass in return."

Chowder laughed.

"Would we do without each other?"

"Well, you'd have Panini, but I don't have anyone…"

"…did you mean it?"

"Mean what?"

"…when you said you loved me?"

"It depends… did you mean it when you kissed me?" Chowder pondered this for a moment, and then he leaned in and kissed Gorgonzola again. At that moment, Gorgonzola and Chowder both knew that they loved each other.


	6. Chapter 6

"Dammit, Pudge," Gorgonzola thought to himself as he replayed those crazy events in his mind. It had been about 2 weeks since Chowder had kissed him and they had confessed their love for each other, but now, due to the fact that Gorgonzola had to catch up on work for Candle Corp, and the fact that Chowder was married with children, they hadn't been able to see each other since.

He was relieved that Chowder had returned his affections, but Chowder's ability to hear him in his sleep didn't cease to astonish him. Those cute little cat-bear-rabbit ears on the top of his head must have given him super-sonic hearing or something.

And then there was Scraps who had brought up the question of love in the first place. Both he and his master seemed to be curiously intuitive and able to sense certain emotions and situations the same way that they, as chefs, could sense certain flavors in a dish.

Gorgonzola however, as a mere candle holder, had a hard time determining others' feelings, which is why it had been very easy for him to bully someone like Chowder, who had rarely shown any real signs of emotional distress at his teasing. But at the same time, it was _because_ Chowder had maintained a generally happy and innocent disposition that Gorgonzola had become increasingly infuriated at his inability to make Chowder appear as miserable as he was, especially given that both he and Chowder were largely ostracized and ignored in the apprentice community. Somehow, Chowder was both his largest rival and his largest means of emotional support, propelling him past the incredibly large pressure placed on him by his master, Stilton.

Looking back, Gorgonzola felt immense guilt and wanted to take back every single mean thing that he had said and to grow close to Chowder so that they could grow up as companions. So that they could begin planning a future together. So that neither he nor Chowder would be afraid to grow up. So that Chowder wouldn't waste 20 years of his life trying to avoid a future with Panini.

Regret and fear began to cloud Gorgonzola's mind, but he couldn't let it prevent him from doing his duty that he had worked his entire life for. He tried not to think about it too much as he walked into the Candle Corp conference room for a meeting.


	7. Chapter 7

Panini was sat in the lobby of the Catering Company, doing the taxes as her husband and his apprentice worked on preparing an order. While she tried to occupy her mind with the numbers, she couldn't help but think about Chowder's near death experience a few weeks back and how it had somehow changed his overall demeanor.

Sure, he was dedicating just as much time to mentoring Scraps as a chef, but to her he was more distant and aloof, going on late midnight strolls and frequenting Gazpacho's Fruit Stand-Up much more than usual.

After almost an entire lifetime of stalking Chowder, she had finally learned to at least somewhat respect his personal space, but she still couldn't help but worry about the waning amount of time that he was spending with her and the children.

At the moment, she felt like she was getting more out of the Mommy and Me Arts and Crafts Classes, where she was able to join a small circle of girl friends, including Marmalade, a former target of her toxic jealousy, who was now married to Ceviche, who had become a world-famous dancer and was touring the world. Marmalade didn't speak very much of Ceviche outside of that, though, but Panini didn't feel like it was very much her business to pry.

Instead, Panini and Marmalade spent their time sewing together while their children made little animals out of pipe cleaners, and in between classes, they exchanged recipes. Even though Chowder was the main chef of the catering company, Panini still enjoyed going into the kitchen once in a while and whipping up one of the many fancy dishes that Endive had taught her, or practicing a recipe that Marmalade had given her. Marmalade somehow gave Panini more closeness with the kitchen and with her passions than Chowder did. Chowder was too busy spending his time with Scraps… and with Gorgonzola.

The anxiety about her current situation ruminated in her head so much that she decided to take a break from the taxes and call Marmalade so that she'd have someone to talk to. She semi-nervously dialed the phone. A few rings later, Marmalade answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Marmalade," replied Panini.

"How are you?"

"Doing okay, I guess. Just feeling a bit lonely, is all."

"Aw, I'm sorry to hear that," said Marmalade. "Is there anything I can do to cheer you up? I just baked a fresh bluenana pie at my house if you want to come over."

"That'd be great," replied Panini, with a slight stream of happiness flooding into her, "so long as I can take the babies with me."

"Of course! They and my babies can have a little play date!"

"I'll be over in a few," she said, hanging up the phone. She considered telling Chowder of her plan, but then she heard a loud boom as he presumably blew up the kitchen (again), and she did not want to deal with that. So instead she just walked out and got into the snail car with her children, heading over to Marmalade's house.


	8. Chapter 8

Panini unbuckled all 50 of her babies out of the booster seats of her specially-made snail car, strapped them into the stroller, and merrily walked up to Marmalade's front door, looking forward to talking with her and enjoying the bluenana pie that she had made.

She used the knocker attached to the very elegantly decorated door, noticing the beautiful flowers situated in hand-carved pots on the porch. Sure enough, the door gently flew open and Marmalade emerged from the inside, dressed in a beautiful hand-sewn blue and white checkered frock, and her hair pulled up in a simple yet elegant ponytail. However, her face was mysteriously lacking the makeup that she was known for applying religiously.

Panini couldn't help but wonder if Marmalade had made the bluenana pie for her face, but then changed her mind when she called. She felt a bit guilty, but at the same time, was amazed by how soft and beautiful Marmalade's features were without any makeup.

"Come on in," said Marmalade, giving a big, beautiful smile. She stepped to the side, and Panini followed her gesture to enter and laid her eyes on what she believed to be the most beautiful yet simple living room that she had ever seen. It was a cute little room. 2 wooden rocking chairs cushioned with floral print pillows took up the center of the room. Adjacent to those chairs was a small round wooden table topped with a doily.

However, the thing that had most caught Panini's attention was the large fireplace that took up a large portion of one of the walls, next to which was a cupboard full of assorted tea cups and children's books, and on the surrounding walls were framed pieces of artwork that appeared to have been painted by Marmalade herself. Panini supposed that it wasn't too unfathomable for a professional makeup artist to be able to transfer her skills to interior design and studio art.

Something about Marmalade's sense of beauty made Panini feel relaxed and at home, more so than she had felt in a long time. She didn't feel like she was overwhelmed by the chaos of the catering company, but at the same time, she didn't feel confined by the almost-too-refined over-the-top elegance of Endive's place.

Panini could see how Ceviche and Marmalade had ended up together; they both shared a common appreciation for beauty and self expression, which Ceviche expressed through dance and Marmalade expressed through design. Panini felt like she could express something like that through food if she wasn't so busy single-handedly raising her children and taking care of the business side of the catering company. But she didn't have time to think very much about things like that.

"Come take a seat," said Marmalade, patting one of the wooden rocking chairs and swiftly making her way to the kitchen to bring the bluenana pie into the living room. Panini and Marmalade both sat down as Marmalade began cutting a slice of the pie for Panini. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I need some relationship advice."


	9. Chapter 9

"I need some relationship advice," Panini said, looking Marmalade directly in the eye.

"Relationship advice, huh…" said Marmalade, her eyes shifting slightly to the side. "To be honest, I'm not doing too great in the way of relationships either…" Panini was slightly surprised, but this also explained why Marmalade didn't talk much of Ceviche.

"If it's not too much trouble," Panini began, slightly nervous, "could you… explain what happened?" Marmalade appeared equally as nervous, but conceded to tell her story.

"Well," she started, twiddling her thumbs anxiously, "I guess I should start with- I guess the first thing I should tell you is… why… I liked Ceviche…" She took a small bite of pie and then continued. "I was attracted to…" She tensed up. "…his femininity…" she managed to mutter quickly and quietly as she took another bite of pie. Panini was barely able to make out what she had said, but she understood.

"Do you like girls, Marmalade?"

"I don't—I don't know—I liked—Ceviche… and I had stalked him until he had finally said, 'I'm not your BOYfriend.'"

"Were you disappointed to find out he was a boy?"

"I don't know… I just remember liking his long pink hair and his leotard… I guess I do like girls, or at the very least, feminine guys… please don't hate me!" Panini finally took a bite out of her slice of pie, and then she gave Marmalade a serious look.

"I don't hate you, Marmalade. I just… I never thought about the possibility of girls liking other girls before… I guess it was because I was fixated on Chowder for such a long time…"

"What did you like about Chowder?"

"I… I don't really remember. I think it started out as an innocent child crush, and then after a while it just became normal for me to chase after him, and I sort of forgot my reasons for doing so eventually… I care about him, but… I don't know if he's the same person that I initially loved…" Marmalade rose from her chair to give Panini a comforting hug, and they spent the rest of the afternoon chatting over pie and watching their kids play together.


	10. Chapter 10

Chowder pulled on his coat and stepped outside after a long day of cooking with his apprentice, whom he had just tucked into bed. If this had been him 20 years ago, he would have found himself in the kitchen, sneaking in a midnight binge of all the delicious foods in the refrigerator, but now Chowder had gained a sense of control over his monstrous appetite, and took more joy in going on midnight strolls across town, where he had a quiet yet scenic space to think.

The candles that lit the streets of Marzipan at night reminded Chowder of Gorgonzola and the confession that he had made, and the bold return of affection that Chowder had somehow mustered up the courage to perform. Doing it didn't require much thought, but then again, Chowder was hardly known for acting on anything other than pure instinct. But now that his relationship with Panini was at stake, Chowder felt the need to delve a little bit more into his mind and try to find a better sense of self. Where did he want to go? What did he want to do? Chowder had so many questions flooding his mind, but no answers at the moment.

Chowder then began to contemplate talking to Mung about his dilemma. After all, he and Truffles had managed to sustain their marriage for over 700 years, and it was still going strong. Surely, they had to be doing something right. Maybe the solution was to try and make his and Panini's marriage work somehow, similar to how Endive and Schnitzel had managed to.

But then what about Gorgonzola… The burning tingling sensation that Chowder had felt the moment he had instinctively pressed his lips against Gorgonzola's still permeated his being. He couldn't forget that. He couldn't forget Gorgonzola's soft embrace, even though he was half-unconscious at the time. He couldn't forget all the adventures that he and Gorgonzola had gone through together, even though Gorgonzola wasn't the friendliest to him at the time… but Chowder was able to tell that he was hurting inside, given the incident at the Apprentice Games, or the time that he had given Gorgonzola a sweater for Knishmas, and it had touched him to the point that he had burst into tears. Seeing the softer side of Gorgonzola was a rarity for Chowder, but one that continued to affect Chowder in the aftermath. In a way, he felt very protective of him. He hoped that he wouldn't have to let him go.


	11. Chapter 11

Panini and Marmalade both yawned almost simultaneously. Somehow they had managed to talk for hours, failing to realize how much time had passed. It was almost midnight.

"I'm so sorry, Marmalade," said Panini, "I didn't mean to stay this late."

"Don't worry about it, Panini. I enjoyed talking to you." She meant what she said. Talking to Panini had been quite cathartic for her, actually, given that Ceviche had been gone for months.

"I know this is a lot to ask of you, but is it alright if I stay the night?"

"Of course you can. We don't have a guest bedroom, but you can sleep in my bed if you want. I'll just get a sleeping bag for myself."

"I'm not going to kick you out of your bed, Marmalade."

"Well then… how about we share the bed?" Marmalade proposed. Panini blushed a little bit. The only person that she had ever slept in the same bed with was Chowder.

"Um… alright," she responded, giving a small smile. "I'd better give my husband a call and let him know I'm here." She pulled out her cellphone and dialed Chowder's phone, but the line was busy… weird. In any case, though, she was exhausted and needed to get some sleep. She and Marmalade breastfed their children, put them to bed, and sauntered off to the bedroom together.

Before Panini knew it, she was under the covers with Marmalade, who had very quickly fallen asleep. She actually looked kind of cute. She had let her hair down, so it was gently cascading over her soft, round face, and she had changed into a white nightgown with purple flowers hand-embroidered on it. She snored lightly, and then gently rolled over onto her side so that her back was facing Panini. There was something about this girl's calm and sweet demeanor that allowed Panini to feel at home, allowed her to feel safe. Panini's eyes fluttered shut, and she began to fall into a deep slumber, her arm unconsciously wrapping around Marmalade's sleeping form. Her bosom gently pressed against Marmalade's back, and somewhere, Marmalade had felt it, feeling a great sense of warmth flood her being. Peacefully, they slept through the nigh.


	12. Chapter 12

**I edited this chapter since I got some feedback saying that it was a bit rushed (which I agree with, so hopefully it is better now) ^-^**

Still making his way through Marzipan city, Chowder pulled out his cell phone to call Mung. Of course, he wasn't expecting Mung to pick up at this time of night, but at the very least, he could leave a message. He was in the middle of dialing the number when all of a sudden:

 _YOU TAKE THE MOON AND YOU TAKE THE SUN…_

The phone started ringing, and the name "Mung" flashed on the screen, almost as if on cue. That was weird. Mung never called Chowder. Usually he was always the one dialing Mung to ask for advice or simply update him on his progress with Scraps. Nervously, Chowder pressed the "accept" button.

"Hello?" he said, not knowing what to expect. Through the receiver, he heard Mung sobbing, and he immediately knew that something was wrong. He hadn't heard sobbing like this since the time that Mung had forgotten his and Truffles' anniversary and had sunken into a deep depression. "What is it?" he asked, very concerned. He was barely able to make out what Mung said through all the sobbing, but he understood it, and was devastated; Truffles had passed away. Chowder sauntered back down the street towards his house, the night's shadows looking much darker and much more sinister than they had looked just a few minutes earlier. He hadn't previously noticed how cold the winter air was, but now he could certainly feel the biting winds slithering across his skin like ghosts, leaving deadened chills across his body. Once he got home, he trudged into his bedroom to pack his bag for the funeral that would take place the next day, close to Mung and Truffles' beach front retirement home. He scribbled out a note for Panini and Scraps, explaining what had happened, and then slumped down onto the bed for a sleepless night.


	13. Chapter 13

Panini's eyes fluttered open as her senses awakened to the cozy comforter that was keeping her warm on this winter night. Next to her, Marmalade was still fast asleep, her silky purple hair strewn in different directions, her face warm and relaxed. Panini smiled as she meticulously crawled out of the bed in an effort to not wake her friend up.

She sauntered over to the kitchen with the intention of cooking breakfast for the two of them in return for Marmalade sharing her bluenana pie and her secrets with her. The kitchen was stocked primarily with baking ingredients, which wasn't very much of a surprise to Panini; recalling her years of training with Endive, she decided that she would make crepes and sunny-side-up schmeggs.

Whistling softly to herself, Panini felt more relaxed than she had in a very long time. For the first time in many years, Chowder hadn't even begun to cross her mind.

As the crepe batter began to simmer softly on top of the stove, Panini heard a gentle rustling coming from the bedroom; must've been the sound of Marmalade getting out of bed. Marmalade sauntered over to the kitchen, lifting the hem of her nightgown slightly so as not to trip on it.

"Good morning, Panini," she said with a yawn, rubbing her eyes slightly and catching focus on the situation. "Aw, you didn't have to cook for me." Panini blushed.

"As if," she said jokingly, "I was just doing this for myself. You can't have any." She stuck her tongue out and Marmalade giggled.

"You're so mean sometimes, Panini," she joked back. The two girls laughed together, and it took a good amount of focus for Panini to quickly flip the crepe over before it started burning. Suddenly, Panini's phone started ringing.

 _The catering company?_ she thought to herself, looking at the number on her screen. _Oh yeah,_ she remembered, _I forgot to tell Chowder where I was because the line was busy…_ She pressed the button.

"Hello?" she said, expecting Chowder to answer, but instead she heard the voice of Scraps. "Is everything alright?"

"Mr. Chowder is gone!" said Scraps, worriedly. "And he left a note!"

"I'll be home right away!" Panini said, quickly removing the half-cooked crepe from the pan and turning off the stove. "Sorry, Marmalade. I have to go." She hugged Marmalade tightly, as a thanks for showing a great amount of hospitality. Marmalade blushed slightly, but tried to hide it.

"I hope everything will be alright, Panini." Panini strapped her children back into the car and headed home.


	14. Chapter 14

"Truffles, the wife of world-famous chef Mung Daal, passed away unexpectedly last night in the outskirts of Marzipan, in her home near the beach. Police believe that she died of natural causes, as she had passed peacefully in her sleep after a night of mahjong with several ladies from the retirement home. She lived a very long and fulfilling life, passing away at the age of 507 years old. Her friends and family from the catering company remember her for strong will and her ability to keep everyone focused so that the business could thrive. Although she was loud, they say, she truly cared about everyone around her and had an admirable degree of self-confidence which nobody that knew her could even dream of exuding. She was fierce and strong like a tiger, but also sensitive enough to put her loved ones first when it really mattered. She will be greatly missed."

Chowder scanned the obituary over and over, barely recalling his brief interview with the news reporters about the event. He hadn't slept the previous night, so driving to Mung's house had been a blur, and the funeral ceremony for Truffles had been even more of a blur since hot steamy tears were clouding his vision. Not a lot of people showed up for the service. It was just Chowder, Mung, Schnitzel, Endive, and Truffles' mahjong friends. Oh, and Chestnut, who was there to lead the ceremony as one of his many freelance jobs.

While he appreciated that the crowd wasn't large enough to make him feel more overwhelmed than he already was, Chowder also lamented at the fact that hardly any of the Marizpanians that knew Truffles bothered to leave any condolences, even by phone. It was strange to Chowder that even in times of tragedy, the people of Marzipan had a strange talent of remaining apathetic to whatever bizarre or messed-up things happened around them. He pondered about how one day he would disappear from the world in a similar fashion (assuming that he wouldn't die in some sort of horrifically tragic incident), and was frightened by the idea of being alone. Sure, he had Panini, whom he cared greatly for, but he never felt confident enough to share his emotions with her, and he didn't want to overwhelm someone as young as Scraps with some of the complex feelings that occasionally came over him.

The truth was that Chowder felt incredibly alone, as if he was concealing important parts of himself as if not to appear vulnerable to others around whom he did not feel quite comfortable. And then he remembered back to the weekend he had spent with Gorgonzola. He didn't know why he had felt so warm and secure at the time, but he missed it greatly. He didn't know how he had managed to build such a profound connection with someone who had once hated him, but he craved Gorgonzola's company more than anything.


	15. Chapter 15

Endive stood in the back of the black-clad crowd of mourners, looking over Truffles' tiny casket, as everyone said their last goodbye's to her. She personally hadn't known Truffles particularly well, but her husband, Schnitzel, having worked in the catering company for a good number of years, was clearly affected by her passing. As such, Endive came to provide emotional support for Schnitzel, but also made sure to stay in the back, since she didn't have a deep connection with Truffles, and her large elephant-like stature would have prevented anyone behind her from seeing anything (although she never would have admitted to being embarrassed about her weight, at least not after spending months working out with Schnitzel and still failing to lose any).

Her eyes slowly drifted over to Mung, her former rival, and she felt very strange. When they had been rivals, she would have given anything to see Mung miserable, but now she felt a slight twinge of pain in her heart as she saw him sobbing over the coffin, speechless and emotionally drained. She wanted to go and comfort him, maybe even go as far as to hug him, but... no. That would be way inappropriate and far beyond the scope of their relationship. As far as she was concerned, she hadn't spoken to him even once since they had been forced into the same room together at Chowder and Panini's wedding, a ceremony she personally did not approve of, given that she had tried to instill in Panini a high standard in both food and men, and she still ended up falling head-over-heels for such a slob.

Oh well. At least Chowder had showed up to the wedding, unlike one of the few men that Endive had managed to stay with for a decent amount of time, before he mysteriously had disappeared, both from her life, and from her memory. She had managed to remember the pain of the experience much better than she was able to remember the man who had betrayed her so. Perhaps it was because she had quickly become infatuated with Schnitzel, and that somehow alleviated some of the pain. Even though she came on a bit strong in the beginning, Schnitzel was patient enough to help her deal with her abandonment issues and form a healthy relationship with him. It was the best decision she had made in her life. And she hoped that Chowder and Panini felt the same way.

However, looking at Mung and Truffles' relationship, it was hard for her to tell whether or not Chowder had learned what a healthy relationship with someone was. The few times she had seen the two of them interact, she couldn't tell if they had loved each other or hated each other. But she didn't have the gall to pry into such a thing, especially not now. And Schnitzel, despite being a rock monster, was too sad now for her to dare to ask him anything about it. All she could do was hope for the best.


End file.
